


Betrayal

by aravenwood



Series: Febuwhump '19 [15]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caleb Widogast Has Issues, Caleb Widogast Needs a Hug, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mind Control, Trent Ikithon Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 04:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17801141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aravenwood/pseuds/aravenwood
Summary: "Caleb." Master Ikithon's voice interrupted his thoughts. "They are not your friends. They are traitors to the Empire and they must be dealt with accordingly. So deal with them."Written for the Febuwhump '19 prompt "betrayal".





	Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> You know, I used to find it funny when I read writing things where people would say "oh yeah I slipped and wrote 5,000 words". But now I'm realising that maybe they weren't joking because this fic started off with a word goal of 500 words...an hour later and it's almost 1,400. Which doesn't sound like a lot but I didn't expect this to be long at all. Or to have an actual ending...
> 
> Oh, and this probably isn't canon compliant. Partly because I kind of ignored the fact that Caleb hasn't always been Caleb...and I probably took some liberties plot-wise... But I'm happy with how it turned out.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Caleb!" the goblin screamed. "Caleb, what are you doing? It's us!"

She seemed to know him, but that was ridiculous because Caleb had never spoken to a goblin in his life - and if he had then he was sure that he would remember it. In fact, he'd never seen any of these people before, despite what they tried to tell at him. Each of them looked at him with bright eyes and expressions twisted in desperation, like somehow everything that he did somehow affected them. But they were strangers. Strangers who called themselves his friends.

"Do not listen to them," Master Ikithon hissed over his shoulder, shooting Caleb a warning look. The moment he turned back, Caleb noticed that the dangerous look in his eye disappeared, replaced by smugness by the time he was looking at the strangers. He spoke again, once more to Caleb but without tearing his eyes away. "They will try to lead you astray and stop your lessons. You don't want that, do you?"

Caleb shook his head. "No, Master. I wish to learn," he said softly.

"He's lying!" snarled a woman with a half-shaved head and her hair knotted tight atop her head . She wore a dangerous expression as she clutched her staff with white-knuckled fingers, eyes narrowed as they twitched between Caleb and Master Ikithon. Caleb couldn't tell who she wanted to hit more, but he tensed nonetheless.

Like the others, though, she had that undercurrent of worry in her eyes. He could see it more clearly every time her eyes met his, in the way that they tried to burrow through the surface to look into his mind. Every time she looked too long, he tore his eyes away to stare at another of the strangers. But they all did the same thing.

He looked back and forth between each anxious stare, and finally lingered once more on the goblin. There was something...strange that happened as his eyes met hers; his stomach suddenly felt like there was a hand squeezing, twisting his organs. His chest grew tight, the air stolen from his lungs. Was this..? The reaction happened so suddenly that he could almost believe that it was a spell, that one of them was trying to kill him. But somehow he knew that it couldn't be true. They wouldn't do that to him.

"Caleb." Master Ikithon's voice interrupted his thoughts. "They are not your friends. They are traitors to the Empire and they must be dealt with accordingly. So deal with them."

The words forced themselves past his uncertainties and wrapped themselves around his brain. He couldn't ignore them, couldn't stop them from echoing over and over inside his head. Flames burst from his hands before he could even think to do it, and his body twisted into an attacking stance. It was as if his body was not his own, simply a puppet of the thoughts in his mind.

Deal with them.

He shot a ball of flames at them, and it was only because the tall woman with braids in her hair pushed several of the others out of its path that no one was hurt.

"Caleb, please! Listen to us, he's controlling you. He's making you do this!" The goblin sounded near-hysterical as fat tears fell down her cheeks and she trembled on the spot.

"Remember who we are," the tall woman said softly.

The half-orc offered him a firm smile. "It's true, we're your friends and we don't want to hurt you. We just want you to be safe," he drawled.

The ache in Caleb's head was worsening, even as another ball of fire burst from his fingers without his command. He grimaced and clenched his hands into fists, then brought them to his face and dug his knuckles into his forehead. "Stop," he whispered, "please stop this." But the pain only worsened until he found himself with his hands wrapped tightly around chunks of his hair. He pulled, wincing at the sharp pain in his scalp.

"What's happening?" he heard someone ask, but the voice sounded strange and far away, and Caleb couldn't bring himself to care.

Pain flared up once more, this time in his knees as he fell to the ground. He doubled over, still clutching at his hair as he pressed his forehead into the ground. His mind felt like it was ablaze and he couldn't hold back his whimpers at the agonising pain. "Help," he choked through gritted teeth. He didn't know who he was talking to.

"Caleb." Master Ikithon's voice cut through the pain as though with a sword. "You will stand and you will kill these traitors, or I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

"Ja," Caleb spluttered, but his body wouldn't cooperate.

"He's fighting," said the half-orc.

"Come back to us, Mr Caleb."

"You can do it, Cay-leb!" someone sung sweetly. Her voice...he knew it. He'd heard her say his name before, he knew he had.

Suddenly Caleb screamed as the pain in his mind reached unbearable levels. His entire body was burning as he sat up and threw his head back in agony. Around him, he could barely make out the crowd of voices all calling for him and for each other, fear and anger turning them dark and deep. The words were gone though, merely white noise in his ears. Over everything else, he could just about make out the crackle of fire, but he had no idea where it was coming from, just that it was there.

Just as suddenly as it had intensified, the pain began to die down. Caleb fell silent as he slumped forwards, so exhausted that his muscles had ceased to work all together. He was vaguely aware of hands on him; on his face, on his arms, cradling his head and lifting him into a semi-upright position.

"Caleb?"

He forced his eyelids apart and stared at the faces which filled his vision. His eyes slid lazily from one to the next, finally coming to rest on one face he knew better than all of the others. "Nott."

His voice was weak and barely audible, but Nott's face brightened and she threw herself at him, wrapping herself around his body and clinging so tightly that if it was anyone else Caleb would have panicked. But Nott was...Nott. And he was safe with her.

"You know who we are then?" Beau asked carefully, her expression unreadable.

Caleb nodded slightly. "Ja. I...I am sorry. He was in my head, I could not...I could not fight him, I am not strong enough," he mumbled and lowered his gaze to the top of Nott's head. He tried to lift a hand to place on top of her, but could do little more than flex a couple of his fingers. But just as he was about to give up, a hand picked it up and placed it on Nott's back between her shoulder blades. Caleb nodded solemnly at Yasha, a gesture she returned.

"It looks like you were fightin' to me," said Fjord. "Looks like you fought so hard you broke free and nearly killed yourself in the process."

"What..? What happened?" Caleb asked.

Fjord grimaced. "You caught fire is what you did. Near as damn killed Ikithon too."

Trent! Where was he, Caleb had to fight him, he had to stop him - !

"He's gone, Mr Caleb, don't worry. He...disappeared...while we were blinded by the smoke," Caduceus reassured him, and Caleb realised for the first time that he was propped up against the firbolg's chest. He blushed, but Caduceus just patted him gently on the shoulder.

Caleb couldn't bring himself to speak. He couldn't bring himself to do anything, so exhausted and so afraid and so confused that he could feel himself starting to drift. His eyes lost their focus and his mind began to drift away.

The last thing he heard before the world faded from existence was a voice in his ear. "It's alright, we'll be here when you get back."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
